Thursday, December 15, 2011

Tooting my own horn.....

Have you, ever in your life, read something or heard something and simply could not believe it until it was repeated at least 3 times? Well, that was exactly my reaction when I opened my e-mail one balmy May morning and read a letter to me from the editor of Australian's Homespun magazine asking me if I'd like to be a guest designer for their upcoming December issue.

I think I sat with my mouth open for a full 5 minutes wondering all sorts of stuff, but especially how in the world they ever found me...although the editor did mention that she had seen this and loved it:

So......to continue.....I yell out to my hubby who was still in the bathroom, "Hey hon, wait until you hear this", and proceeded to read the e-mail again (and they as long as I was at it, printed it out so I could hold it in my grubby little hands). Not only did they want me, BUT (get this) they were going to pay me to design it!!! E-gads, can you believe???

Since the design was for their summer issue, the editor suggested a beach theme and after correspondence back and forth I drew 4 possibilities for their review:

I was delighted when they picked #1 which (all along) was my favorite. It had to be fun and colorful and funky (after all, those are sort of my signatures I figured) so I started pulling fabrics (and buttons) and fusing my heart out:

Eventually, I ended up with the finished product:

And here are some close-ups:

And here I am with a nice profile story right in the magazine:

And here is the cover with my wall hanging on the top far right corner:

I'm telling you, this experience was one of the highlights of my year! I LOVED it!!! And how I shut up about it for 7 months I'll never know! I usually can't keep a secret overnight. LOL And, for all of you in the US, someone told me that this magazine is available at the big JoAnn superstores, so in a week or two go get yourself a copy. (It's not there yet...I checked. LOL) Guess what all my relatives are getting for Christmas?????

Congrats!, Carol. That is really an adorable design and a really nice mag layout. I don't think I've ever seen one of those magazines. It sure makes me curious to look through the rest of it. LOL You go girl!

How you come up with these ideas is beyond my comprehension. You are very gifted and I love seeing your work. Congratulations. I hope I can find an issue before they are all gone. There isn't a JoAnn's anywhere near me.

I LOVE everything about this experience, Carol. Your excitement at being asked, your super fun design, The signature colourful, sweet quilt, your enthusiasm for sharing your work and best of all, that you were paid for your efforts and skill. Congratulations on all of it!!!

OOH how exciting Carol! CONGRATULATIONS! I hope they will send you some of those for you to give away. I have to drive over 2 hrs to get to a JoAnn's superstore. :( poo. Will have to search a bit I guess.

It's beautiful. And what a great perk to get paid to do that on top of all that publicity. GREAT JOB CAROL!!!!

Carol that is so fantastic, and deservedly so. I wish I had a JoAnns here in the UK so I could go and buy one for myself! Your fusible quilt pictures are just amazing and unique and this one is BRILLIANT. Next a book... :-)

Carol, I am soooo happy for you! This is a well-deserved honor! I remember telling you when you first started quilting that you would be famous!!! :) You definitely have a talent that so many of us can only wish for! Congratulations!

Hi Carol! You are just amazing and so talented! It was in deed time to show your art in a magazine! Still Congratulations and be proud for your unique and happy style! I think that your last drawing would make also really happy and joyful quilt! Merry Christmas! x Teje

I only yesterday bought my own copy! It is fabulous! ( I predicted this on flick'r!! A book will not be far away I'm sure! ) And what is so great about this little scene is it could a number of beaches here in Australia, especially one down the coast near where my sister lives! So you have managed to capture us Aussies so well too! Congratulations!

Con-grat-u-la-tions!!!! I always told you I thought you had a very unique and publishable style. And I know you say it's not the direction you want to go but I still hold the hope that one day you will announce the arrival of your book!

And what a coincidence-I was in my local Joann's earlier today and saw two other Australian quilt magazines but not this one. I will definitely check back there to see if they get it.

Congratulations... it couldn't have happened to a more talented designer! What I want to know is... when can I buy your patterns? I love everything you do.. not that I'm a groupie :)Oh... and the magazine has made it to Scotland... I've got mine.

Congrats Carol! Well deserved and I am sure a sweet experience to receive a paycheque for doing what you love.The quilt is ADORABLE! As always your use of colour stitching and embellishment have resulted in a work of art that makes people smile. It is one of the things that keeps us coming back for more!

How awesome! And no, I'm not surprised, you are, after all, uber talented. I will begin keeping an eye out for the magazine and when I find it in the store, I'm going to say very loudly--hey, that's Carol's quilt...

Australia? Shut up Shut up, Shut up!!!! Wow, congratulations---you are so very deserving of this recognition for your talents. Your work is amazing, always makes me smile, and is now published. As always, I thank you for sharing your projects, photos, etc. with your adoring fans. You are awesome & then some!Brenda (no blog)Texas, USA

Congrats! And the wall hanging is adorable! I love your likeness of Annette Funicello, and her twin sister, Babette! lol And the little fishies in the waves are so perfect. It's sweet in every way! I'm sure the mag will ask you again.....this was just right!

Like everyone else - I have always thought your work was awsomely artistic - it says so on my blog!and as I keep saying - please start selling us your patterns...Then a gain - maybe we can start petition to get Homespun to badger you for more patterns!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE your style !!!! ALL OF IT !!! EVERY SINGLE THING YOU MAKE !!!! CONGRATULATIONS !!!! (I'm shouting ... can you tell ?) You definately deserve to be in that magazine AND on the cover !!! YAY !!!

Well done. I have followed your Blog and gazed in admiration at your photos on Flickr. Even copied your way of fusing for two tote bags I made last Christmas. And now you are featured in my favourite magazine. Wow!

Having not come across you until now I have to say that when I opened my Homespun Magazine and saw that design I sat there for ages just saying "Love it, love it, love it!" over and over again!!! You are a very talented woman!

About Me

I'm a crazy lady, married to the same wonderful guy for 40 years, who loves to sew all sorts of stuff (me, not him). Actually, come to think of it, he probably doesn't even
know what a walking foot is. :( Oh well! Anyway, join in the fun and see what I might be making next.
If you need to contact me: turznik(at)execpc(dot)com